Inhalation therapy is the medical art of treating with oxygen or a mixture of oxygen and air having a high moisture content. Several classes of devices, one of which comprises atomizers or nebulizers, are adapted for effecting such treatments. A heretofore known system for inhalation thereby comprises a container for pure water which has means enabling operation of the container in one of several modes. A fitting, comprised of a venturi, when associated with said enabling means, adapts the container as a nebulizer reservoir and itself is adapted for providing nebulized water. However, in that device, some of the water which has been removed from the container either fails to break into a mist, or condenses at or about the fitting after atomization.
The patentee in the recently issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,015, goes a long way to solving some of the basic problems in this area. The present invention constituting the subject matter herein provides for an improved means for disposing of the unatomized water. It also provides for a more expeditious construction. It also provides for better mode of securing the parts of the device to connecting conduits and to the container constituting the nebulizer reservoir.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved nebulizer.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved fitting for adapting a water container as a nebulizer.
It is another object of the invention to remove condensate from a mist produced by a nebulizer, particularly a nebulizer comprised of a venturi.
It is an additional object of the invention to improve the quality of a nebulized mist.
Further, it is an object of the invention to improve the fitting arrangements of the nebulizer device.
Moreover, it is an object of the invention to easily return condensate in a nebulizer to its associated reservoir.